Becoming an Ebook Publisher

Getting the best from e-book publishing: an independent guide.

Ways of Becoming an Ebook Publisher

E-book publishing software is now available for most Internet publishing ventures. The documents created can be read at the computer screen or in handheld devices. Customers pay to view as with a subscription service, but the document is usually downloaded in entirety to be read at leisure. In terms of increasing enterprise and outlay, there are three (overlapping) types of business:

1. Authorship only: i.e. writing salable copy, which is:

• converted into e-books by electronic publishers, either at cost to the author (vanity publishing), or by some share of profits/royalties (electronic publishing.)

• converted into and stored in electronic form — to be later produced in book form as required (print on demand).

2. Self-publishing: authors employ specialized software to produce the e-book themselves, marketing and selling productions from their own websites.

3. Commercial publishing: companies produce and market the electronic equivalents of books and magazines.

General: Pros and Cons

E-publishing is an exciting development. Rather than produce large runs of books, incurring high costs for printing, warehousing and distribution, e-publishers store the text electronically, either selling material as downloadable e-books or as traditional books produced on a print-on-demand basis. Deals can be quite flexible. Authors typically pay to have their work prepared as print-on-demand, retaining copyright and a percentage of sales. In downloadable books the publishing company usually bears the cost, retains copyright and pays royalties. Multimedia material is generally marketed through CDs.

Boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred. Some print-on-demand publishers retain copyright, or the equally important ISBN number. Others work on a partnership basis. The more aggressive publishers accept virtually all manuscripts, providing editorial services and artwork as required. A few are very choosy indeed. CDs can complement these offerings. And so forth. The variations are legion is this expanding and largely untested field.

The author also enjoys these advantages:

• content can be kept topical.

• production is quicker, a few days rather than a year or two.

• costs are lower: a few hundred dollars rather than the usual tens of thousands.

• royalties are higher, typically 30% rather than 8% odd.

• publication can be kept in print for long periods.

• sound files, video clips and pictures are easily added.

Nonetheless, the drawbacks are still formidable:

• it's hard to make decent money. Sales at best are usually only a few thousand, which translates to a few tens of thousand dollars for many months or years of writing.

• publishing by this route does not bring kudos, and often the reverse. Attitudes are changing, but the booktrade still tends to regard self-publishing as glorified vanity publishing. A string of e-book titles may not therefore commend an author to an agent or traditional publisher.

• traditional publishing brings together many skilled professionals, and these are not commonly available to the e-book author. He or she has to do the shaping, proofing, art work, indexing, checking facts and copyright, pricing and marketing. Too often, if not to the author, the inexperience shows.

• writers need help with publishing contracts and other matters, but the profit margins are too thin to attract professional agents.

• e-book publishing is a volatile field, and it may be difficult to get copyright back if the company goes out of business.

• print-on-demand books are more expensive than their paper counterparts, and are not stocked by booksellers because the sale and return terms do not generally apply.

• most people prefer to read a book than look at a hand-held viewer or computer screen.

That said, e-book publishing may be the ideal solution for:

• topical, health, how-to and financial information.

• new themes or genres, so as to test the market.

• matter of local or specialist appeal: family histories, academic studies.

• literary work of little commercial value: poetry, experimental fiction.

• promotional material, company or industry-wide.

Hardware Considerations

E-books can be read on desktop PCs, but are usually tailored to fit handheld devices, of which over 40 now exist.

Business 1. Authorship: Electronic Publishing and Print on Demand

You send the manuscript in word-processed form and the publishing company does the rest. Rates can be surprisingly modest, but increase steeply as other services are added — shaping, rewriting, proofing, covers, artwork, marketing. Check our resources page for an extensive list of companies.

You must check the contract carefully. Sites providing detailed advice are listed on our resources page. The key points are:

• who retains copyright? And film rights, exclusive rights, etc.?

• who is the ISBN number registered to? Sales go them.

• royalty levels?

• quality of writing and publishing? Check by purchasing a book or two.

• associates: are you happy keeping company with their writer's stable?

• turnaround: how long and what guarantees?

• binding contracts on future manuscripts?

• legislation to handle disputes, company liquidation, etc.

• publisher reliable and financially sound? Check them out.

• who's doing the (vitally important) marketing?

Business 2. Self-Publishing for Handheld Devices: Standard Formats

Many e-book readers prefer to use handheld devices, and — given the marketing strength of the companies concerned — two standards may achieve dominance: Adobe Acrobat eReader and Microsoft Reader.

Adobe Acrobat eReader
Offering an overabundance of features, Acrobat is the format choice of many professionals. Unlike most of its rivals, Acrobat works on both PCs and Macs, and the latest $249 version allows forms to be stored in XML format for ready database access.

Microsoft Reader

To create e-books for Microsoft Reader you'll need the $430 Microsoft Word program, plus a free plug-in from the Microsoft site. And just as Adobe provides ecommerce features (see Business 3 below), Microsoft also let you go to the Reader website, be allocated a section with proper security features, and then compose your book online. Once completed, you can market your book with the included ecommerce facilities (though the online credit card facility costs extra).

Also popular are:

PalmOS

Developed for the Palm handheld device, the Palm operating system has become one of the two standards for PDAs (the other being Pocket PC, a cut-down version of MS Windows). Many of the smaller handheld devices now support PalmOS, and of course run a wide variety of software.

Gemstar

E-Books written in the Gemstar format can only be read on the Gemstar reading devices, the REB 1100 ($ 300) and the REB 1200 ($ 600). Despite the hardware restriction, Gemstar do offer a large and increasing range of e-book titles.

 

Self-Publishing for PC Viewing

Two standards now exist for e-books viewed on PC devices: Adobe Acrobat and HTML (often compiled into a stand-alone executable file with added security features). Nonetheless, e-books can be created in other formats by a wide variety of software, with prices ranging from free to $999. Consult our resources page for a list and product comparison table for the details.

Self-Publishing: PC Viewing: Security Considerations

Once the password is known, what's to stop your e-book from being unlocked and copied and across the Internet? To be doubly safe you'll have to create e-books that will 'lock' into the hard disk specification of the individual PC, or which need to look up a password from a website you control. The requisite software is listed in our products comparison table.

Once your book is produced, you'll have to:

1. Find some way of getting paid. Consult the payment solutions page for suggestions.

2. Market your production. Consult the ezines page for suggestions.

Business 3. Commercial Publishing

The technology may differ from traditional publishing, but e-publishing also requires flair, contacts, experience and considerable financial resources. Established publishers thinking of moving into the electronic sector should consult the resources page for the commercial software and systems available.

Some Suggestions

E-publishers should follow the more successful of their traditional brethren, who:

• select carefully, concentrating on the 'have to read' titles.

• extend marketing beyond the traditional 16 months.

• expect distributors to distribute and not promote their books.

• go beyond bookstores to target customers directly.

• maximize profits from each title in CDs, book-club releases, etc.

• associate their title with a celebrity or institution.

• control costs, aiming for a 60% gross profit that reduces to 10-30% net.

The same requirements hold for authors. Put yourself in the publisher's shoes and think how your book will or could be sold. Work the marketing leads into the text. Research the market, and send proposals before going too far.

Our e-book has extended resource listings for e-book publishing.

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